I am attending the California Democratic Party convention in San Diego this weekend to make sure my voice as a parent of school-age children is heard and my opinion on access to high-quality education is known. Joining me will be hundreds of other parents and education activists rallying together to encourage a broader dialogue on the state of California’s public education system and how to address urgent needs of students.

As a Democrat, I was disheartened to learn that no representatives, including parents, delegates or other party members from charter public schools had been invited to speak during the convention or had a place on any platform to discuss the role of charter schools in public education.

Campaigns designed to misinform the public about the purpose and accomplishments of California charter schools have also made my visit to the convention necessary. Like many parents of a student with special needs, I struggled to obtain the support he needed from the school district . Eight-hour Individualized Education Program meetings would result in no movement or action by his former school. It was frustrating for me, but even worse, it was a disservice to him as he struggled academically.

Had it not been for the creation of California charter public schools 25 years earlier, my son would have been relegated to either a homeschool program or a school unable to provide for his needs.

Enrolling my son in our local charter public school was everything I looked for and support in public education. High-performing, accountable, creative in their teaching and learning approach, and free to an abundance of students from various backgrounds and learning needs.

As a Latina, and working mother of two, I value public education, especially the available opportunity to have my kids attend two different models of schools with learning environments they feel most at ease. Without having a choice in the matter, I would have had to look into private schooling, an expensive proposition for my family.

Looking beyond the political rhetoric and bureaucracy, there’s data that anyone who calls themselves an advocate of the public education system should embrace and share.

Charter public schools continue to prepare more African American and Latino students for college, with higher application and attendance rates than other school models. Charter public school students are twice as likely to attend California’s highest performing schools and 50 percent less likely to be suspended as school programs use a variety of flexible and innovative methods to help kids engage and focus on learning.

Nearly every aspect of charter public schools are in line with every political party’s ideology on what public schools should be – they are engines of opportunity, collaborating with other schools and community groups to share best practices to help close achievement gaps, while at the same time protecting our most vulnerable student populations and delivering high-quality education to all students

So why am I, as a charter public school parent and supporter, on the outside of my party’s convention? I really don’t know, but I will be there to learn as much as I am there to teach those in attendance about my experience with charter schools alongside the hundreds of other parents gathering from across the state.

No matter the political party you belong to, Democrat or Republican, we can all agree that our kids should have a chance to attend a great public school that works to support their individualized academic goals. Public education should not be a political battleground – it needs to be a gathering of common goals and shared values to help our students succeed.

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